


I Can’t Help But Love You (Even Though You Can Be Such An Idiot)

by Itscalledthedistrict



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: 5 Things, 5+1, Alec Lightwood Deserves Nice Things, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Post Season 1, marriage proposals, semi future fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 12:25:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7844869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Itscalledthedistrict/pseuds/Itscalledthedistrict
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alternatively titled: The 5 times Magnus said no to Alec’s proposal, because seriously what the heck Alec you don’t propose at times like those.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Can’t Help But Love You (Even Though You Can Be Such An Idiot)

**Author's Note:**

  * Translation into Polski available: [Nic nie mogę poradzić na to, że cię kocham (nawet jeśli czasem bywasz kompletnym idiotą)](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8036059) by [Pomyluna](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pomyluna/pseuds/Pomyluna)



 

**_1- Jokingly_ **

 

They had only been dating about two months when the words first left Alec’s mouth.

Magnus was the first of the two to wake up, which wasn’t a surprise considering how exhausted Alec was the previous night (no, they didn’t do _that_ dammit. Alec was up late trying to piece together clues that could lead to Jace’s location and accidentally fell asleep. What kind of boyfriend would Magnus be if he didn’t move Alec from the uncomfortable couch to the warm bed?). After a couple of minutes of detangling himself from Alec’s arms, he went to the kitchen to start on some breakfast.

Alec emerged from the bedroom just as the kettle started to whistle. Magnus might like to drink coffee with his breakfast, but he knew his boyfriend preferred tea since it didn’t taste as strong.

He wasn’t aware that Alec was out of bed until a pair of arms wrapped around him. “Well, someone slept in today.” Magnus teased. He laughed when Alec’s response was to drop his head onto his shoulder and groan. He turned his head to place a kiss onto Alec’s temple. “Darling I know you’re tired but you’ll feel better once you’ve eaten.”

Alec’s eyes widened as he looked at the food for the first time. “Did you make all of this? No magic?”

“Mostly yes, though I did use some to save the eggs when I forgot to set the timer.”

Alec smiled into Magnus’s shirt. “You did all that for me?”

Magnus hummed in affirmation. “I also made some tea. I know how grumpy you get without your caffeine.”

Alec sighed. “Marry me, you perfect being.” He whispered.

Magnus knew Alec was joking, but that didn’t stop his heart from racing. “I think we should be dating at least three months before you propose to me.” When Alec didn’t respond, Magnus continued,  “Then again… you knew Lydia for… maybe two days before you proposed to her? Should I be offended that it took you this long?”

Alec groaned, tightening his grip on Magnus before shaking his head. “Do you have to bring that up?”

“Oh yes, because if you had listened to me you would never have been in that mess.”

Alec just shook his head. Magnus smiled, placing another kiss onto Alec’s temple before moving to turn off the stove.

 

**_2- Drunk_ **

 

It started when Magnus heard the annoyingly familiar ringtone coming from his phone. Magnus looked at the name and couldn’t help but groan. Not only was this the fifth time in a week Jace had called him (three of them had been for advice, the other because Jace must’ve known that Magnus and Alec were in the middle of something… again, not _that_ dammit, they were trying to finish the second season of Glee since it was on Magnus’s bucket list to watch the whole series).  It had been an eventful day for the High Warlock, and he was _so_ hoping that he wouldn’t have to add a demon chase to the list.

“Heeeeey Magnus…” Jace said. Magnus could tell right away that he was hiding something.

“What did you do this time? And please don’t tell me that Alec was involved.”

“Well… it wasn’t exactly my fault. How was I supposed to know that Alec was such a lightweight?”

Magnus shut his eyes and counted to ten. How was Jace so smart in battle yet so dumb in other situations?

“And you want to drop him off here so I can babysit him?”

“What? N-no, it’s not like that. He’s just very… uncensored when he’s drunk, and since you’re his boyfriend you can probably put up with half the stuff he’s saying.”

And that’s how Magnus Bane, High Warlock of Brooklyn, ended up with a very intoxicated Alec Lightwood on his couch.

“Have I ever told you how pretty you are Magnus? Because you’re really fucking pretty. Even when you’re pissed at Jace you’re pretty. I love you so much.” Alec said, words slurring together.

Magnus placed a glass of water on the table before leaning down to kiss Alec on his forehead. “Yes dear, I believe you have. Now get some sleep so you wake up with less of a hangover.”

“Don’t wanna sleep, just want you.” Alec slurred.

Magnus would never be used to this side of Alec: the drunk, affectionate version that loved to express his feelings. He didn’t really mind dealing with him like this (at least he didn’t throw things when he was drunk), but Alec never remembered what he said the next day. Sometimes Magnus wanted Alec to remember the sweet things he’d said the night before, other times Magnus wished _he_ could be the one to forget.

“You know, we could totally get married right now.” Magnus heard Alec say.

“Oh no, you’re drinking that water and going to bed. I’m not explaining to you tomorrow why you suddenly have a band on your ring finger.” Magnus said without a second thought.

After he helped Alec to the(ir? they hadn’t exactly discussed it lately…) bedroom, Alec fell asleep almost immediately. Magnus sighed and ran his hand through Alec’s hair. “You know, that’s not how you propose to someone either, Alexander.” he whispered, “I think you should at least move in before we even think about marriage.”

The next day Alec had a killer hangover and Magnus had a copy of his apartment’s key made.

 

**_3- As a Bet_ **

 

All Magnus had wanted was to have a normal date night with Alexander.

Instead, he was somehow roped into staying at the Institute as Alec and his siblings watched the monitors for a new threat.

He didn’t really mind talking to Izzy. In fact he quite enjoyed the conversations they had together. Tonight though, she could tell that he’d rather be somewhere else and had decided to attempt to include an innuendo in almost every sentence. Not only was that totally childish (nevermind that he attempted to get Alec to notice him with them), but it reminded Magnus that he’d not been able to spend time alone with Alexander in almost three weeks. If he wasn’t immortal, Magnus would think it was killing him.

Meanwhile, Alec and Jace were in the corner arguing about something. Magnus didn’t care about their conversation enough to listen in, but Izzy seemed to think it was amusing.

“Hey, Magnus!” Jace called. Magnus tried to ignore it, he really did, but his curiosity won out in the end. He turned to see the blonde smiling a little too widely to be on patrol, Alec frowning, and Izzy trying to hold back her giggles. He knew this could not be good.

“Magnus Bane, will you marry my brother, Alec Lightwood?” Jace asked. At this point Izzy lost it, excusing herself before leaving the room.

“Are you… proposing to me for Alexander?” Magnus asked.

“He’s too chicken to do it. We had a bet and he wouldn’t go through with it, so I decided to.”

Magnus frowned. “And what was the wager?”

“A night off patrol if Alec could propose to you tonight. Two if you actually gave an answer.”

… Damn. Two whole nights off patrol? That was rare, especially for Alec (who was kind of a workaholic). Two nights that could be spent alone with Alec while Izzy and Jace were on patrol… two nights to make up for three weeks apart…

They could get in at _least_ two Harry Potter movies in! Maybe even three if Alec could keep his hands to himself.

(... and, yeah okay Magnus needed to keep his hands to himself too.)

“The night is still young Jace. Alexander can still propose before the sun rises."

Alec shot him a panicked look while Jace smirked. “He has exactly three minutes before midnight. Tick tock Alec.”

Alec kept staring at Magnus; his face not hiding any of the confusion he felt. Magnus just winked at him.

After what seemed like a long time (which was only thirty seconds, but when you’ve only got three minutes left that feels like eternity), Alec sighed. “Magnus Bane,” he said in a very bored voice, “will you marry me, Alec Lightwood?”

Magnus smiled, “Not with that proposal Alexander. When you actually propose to me I expect more emotion than that. And maybe a ring. It’s a wonder why Lydia ever said yes to you.”

Looking over at Jace, Magnus smirked. “A proposal _and_ an answer for you, Wayland. Now I expect Alexander’s two nights off to be soon because I have plans.” He kissed Alec’s stunned face before heading towards the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to make sure your sister hasn’t passed out laughing.”

It took Alec exactly five minutes to recover from his shock. It took Jace a hit to the shoulder and a call for action to snap out of his.

 

**_4- Injured_ **

 

All Magnus needed to hear was Alec’s name before he was on his way.

He’d already heard about the attack on the Institute. There was no doubt on his mind that Alec would’ve been involved. From what Izzy had told him, Magnus knew that Alec had been training with Jace when a demon with a glamour made its way into their headquarters. Alec and Jace made sure the kids were out of the training facility before going to battle the trespasser. Jace did what he could, but his body was still weak after not training for so long. Alec had to do almost 3/4ths of the work, which must’ve exhausted him. The demon got him while he was trying to draw another rune.

Izzy said Alec hadn’t lost a lot of blood; he just needed some stitching where the steele accidentally stabbed him and he had some bruises on his torso that looked ugly. Izzy tried to tell him he didn’t have to come to the Institute, but Magnus refused. That was child’s level magic, so for being the High Warlock of Brooklyn Magnus knew he’d be able to help.

Plus, that was his boyfriend in pain. Someone had hurt _his_ Alexander. This did not settle well with the warlock.

When he arrived, Clary showed him to Alec’s old room. Alec laid on the bed, clearly medicated to help deal with the bruises on his torso. Magnus could see the wound from the rune-gone-wrong on Alec’s forearm. He almost thought that Alec was sleeping until he opened his eyes.

Alec tried to speak, but Magnus stopped him. “You’re exhausted darling. You need to rest, and I need to clear up these bruises. Hopefully we’ll find that nothing was broken.”

Alec just nodded and let Magnus lift his shirt. Magnus ignored the instinct to look away as he snapped his fingers and let the magic flow through him.

Thankfully nothing was broken. There may have been some fractures, but you wouldn’t know unless you’d seen Alec before Magnus showed up. It really was child’s level magic, Magnus thought. He didn’t feel the slightest bit tired after he’d finished healing Alexander…

… Okay, that’s an exaggeration. He did feel tired, but he felt the reassurance that Alec was okay more than anything.

Magnus lost count of the minutes (hours?) he spent sitting by Alec’s bedside. The only time he’d moved from his seat was to shut the door as Clary and Jace left. He knew Alec was dreaming, he could tell by the way Alec kept clenching his hand. Alec would also let some words slip now and then, but none of them caught Magnus’s attention.

That is, until Alec muttered the words “marry me, Magnus” so softly that Magnus almost thought he’d imagined them.

Magnus took a sharp breath, asking his heart to slow down. It wasn’t like Alec was conscious when he’d asked or that it meant anything compared to the other two (three? he’d lost count) times Alec had “proposed”,  but they were starting to become more serious now. When Magnus pictured a future, he couldn’t picture one without Alec in it. When Alec talked about the future, Magnus was always by his side.

Maybe… maybe marriage was a possibility for them.

Magnus just squeezed Alec’s hand. “Maybe someday, love.”

 

**_5- Before a Battle_ **

 

If anyone had told Magnus that he’d fall in love with a mortal being, Magnus would’ve laughed at them. If they went on to say this person was a shadowhunter, Magnus would’ve asked what was in their drink.

That was a long time ago. Now, Magnus _does_ love a mortal shadowhunter with all his heart.

That makes saying goodbye to him so much harder.

Magnus never liked letting Alec rush into trouble without him, but his boyfriend was a shadowhunter. It was his job. Even in the middle of war Alec will stand up and fight for his friends, family, community. No one, not even Magnus, can convince him to do otherwise. Magnus had never tried to, no matter how much he’d like to. He was always there to bandage his wounds, to offer him comfort, or to offer a shoulder to cry on though.

This though, this was different. This was _war_. Alec could _die._ He could leave Magnus _alone_ and _heartbroken_ and _cold_ …

But that’s what he gets for falling in love with a shadowhunter.

Magnus stopped Alec before he was able to leave their apartment. He never knew what to say in situations like these. “Don’t… don’t do anything stupid that could leave you injured. I’d like you to come back to me in one piece.”

Alec dropped his bow and enveloped Magnus in a hug. Stupid emotions, Magnus thought. Stupid emotions that make your heart clench and eyes water and throat swell up…

“I wanted to wait, I really did,” Alec began, “but I can’t wait with what might be at stake. I need to know if you’ll marry me. Please, please give me an answer.”

Magnus let a tear escape. Here Alec was, falling apart right in front of his eyes. He couldn’t have this be the last time he’d ever see his lover.

Magnus sniffed before removing his head from Alec’s shoulder. “Come back to me first.”

“Magnus-”

“No.” Magnus interrupted. “You’re hysterical right now Alexander. I can’t say yes without knowing that you’re making this decision because you _want_ to, not because it’s something you want right in this moment.” He brushed away the tears that ran down Alec’s cheeks. “Come back to me. Propose when you aren’t drunk, or for a bet, or because you don’t know what the future holds. I want to spend your life with you Alexander, but I need to be confident that you want the same thing I do.”

Alec nodded before leaning back into Magnus’s shoulder. “Okay.”

Magnus didn’t know how to respond, so he let his actions do what words couldn’t. He kissed Alec hard, through the tears and pain and sorrow to express his love and the promise of a future. _Their_ future.

 _Their future._ Magnus liked the sound of that.

 

**_+1- For Real This Time_ **

 

Magnus woke up to the smell of eggs and coffee. He smiled and sat up, stretching the muscles in his arms and back.

He loved waking up to quiet mornings.

Last night hadn’t been too eventful for the warlock and shadowhunter. They’d spent the evening together and fell asleep during an episode of Glee (Magnus was _finally_ almost through with it). No one bothered them, no demons were loose, no patrol. It was really nice being able to spend an uninterrupted night with his love.

Alec wasn’t in the bedroom, but Magnus could hear him moving around in the kitchen. He made the bed and brushed his teeth before going to join his lover.  “Something smells really good.” Magnus commented, kissing Alec’s temple before sitting at the table.

Alec smiled at him before flipping another pancake. Magnus loved watching Alec cook. It was different than watching him fight, with hard muscles and a scowl. Cooking let Alec release the stiff posture he usually held. His face was clear and unguarded, sometimes he even hummed under his breath. Magnus loved when Alec was this relaxed; when he felt like he could let go of all the horrors of the world.

“I made coffee too if you’re interested. It should be done by now.”

Magnus sighed blissfully. “Breakfast and coffee? You sure know how to charm a man, Alexander.”

Alec let out a laugh, and Magnus smiled. Anytime he could get Alec to laugh was special.

Magnus reached into the cupboard to get he and Alec glasses. He poured some tea into the one that had become Alec’s and handed it to him. He failed to notice the look of apprehension on Alec’s face.

Magnus turned to get the coffee when he heard something in his cup move. Magnus frowned and looked into it…

… he almost dropped the damn cup. And the box inside of it.

Slowly, Magnus took the box out of the cup. He opened it, and couldn’t help the gasp that came out of his mouth. The ring inside was simple, yet elegant. The band was silver with what looked like runes etched around it. Magnus didn’t know the exact meaning of every rune, but he knew the center rune all too well.

The marriage rune. A rune that Magnus had only seen in books.

“I know it’s not as flashy as some of your other rings,” Alec began, “but since you can’t wear runes I figured this was as close as I could get to uniting us traditionally. I’d still like you to give me the rune, in a ceremony in front of our friends and my parents but apparently it's mundane tradition to present someone with a ring when you propose so I-”

“Alexander. Breathe.” Magnus said through his own stuttering breath.

Alec let out a shaky breath and smiled. “Okay.”

Then he got down on one knee.

“Magnus Bane,” Alec began, not taking his eyes off of Magnus’s, “will you marry me, Alec Lightwood?”

He tried to respond dramatically, he really did, but the look on Alec’s face was too adorable. “Yes, Alexander. There’s nothing in the world that I want more.” Magnus responded, pulling Alec up to kiss him.

Alec broke the kiss long enough to put the ring onto Magnus’s finger. Their first kiss as fiancés was nothing short of sweet and powerful. It was a promise of the things to come, of a now possible future. It was _theirs._

 _Their_ _future._ Magnus loved the sound of that. 

He pulled away slowly, smiling. “So… it took you six years to propose to me while it took two days for you to propose to Lydia. Should I be concerned about something dear?”

Magnus ducked as Alec tried to hit him with a towel.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> I wanted this out for Malec Week's "in the future" day, but I didn't get it finished in time. These two have officially stolen my heart, so of course I have to write about them being cute. I hope you enjoyed, and feedback is always appreciated!!


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